On most days, the BA Kitchen is home to parties, luncheons and the occasional Questlove sighting. But today is different: We transformed it into a state-of-the-art taste test facility, which is to say that there were countless numbered bowls containing countless brands of hot sauce, tuna, and the like. All this went down in the name of our brand spankin’ new BA Seal of Approval. When it launches in our December 2012 issue, the Seal of Approval will mark the top 50 everyday kitchen products that our kitchen and editorial staff can get behind.

So what’s a typical BA Seal of Approval taste test day look like? Today we were treated to the following: thirteen types of tuna, five varieties of anchovies, five peanut butters, eight tomato pastes, four Greek yogurts, five olive oils, and various “everyday” and “fancy” varieties of butter. Note: Each category had already been narrowed down before this test. Yes, folks, it’s quite a process. Watch as it unfolds above. –Matt Duckor